


After Death

by OMGimprocrastinating



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Everyone dies! (but not really), F/F, F/M, M/M, Mind Fuck, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-01-21
Updated: 2012-02-03
Packaged: 2017-10-29 21:37:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/324416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OMGimprocrastinating/pseuds/OMGimprocrastinating
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After death, life goes on amidst violence and trickery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Becoming: Arthur

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Plot based on a Thai movie called Opapatika.

It was a rainy night but Arthur paid no heed to the vicious drops falling from the sky, the cold water hitting every available surface noisily as if the night storm wanted to drown every other sound except its own.

Once inside the mansion however, the sound of rain muted and it eased the young man's mind a little to be away from the noise as he walked across the foyer, past the rooms and into the study where his father was waiting for him, standing in front of the fireplace, the light from the burning fire burnishing his silhoutte into a golden colour.

As soon as Arthur reached a respectable distance from his father, Uther held out a gun for him to take and said, "You know what to do."

After a brief hesitation, the young man took the weapon, its cold metal seeping into his already cold bones as he traced the runes carved on it's side with careful yet curious finger. Arthur recognised the pattern - the _Oran Mor_ that which maintains life after death. Reincarnation.

He looked up at Uther then, the man who has raised him to be strong, brave and courageous - but the man's eyes were cold and Arthur wondered if he have ever seen any warmth in them before, other than when it was aimed at his ailing mother.

In reply to his father's earlier words, Arthur gave a nod of acquiesce, placed the nuzzle of the gun against his forehead and pulled the trigger.

* * *

The druids believe that life continues after death, that the soul is immortal and that after a person dies, he or she goes on to live in the otherworld where good and evil does not exist, where matters of the heart and mind that makes a person human is severed from the soul.

However, there are some souls that refuses to be cut off completely from their human nature and hence became an abomination of life. They are called dra'iochts.

* * *

Uther has always detested magics of any kind especially since his wife has become ailed by an unnatural sickness, and he has thus made it his life long passion to rid the world of these abominations - these supposed-to-be-dead people called dra'iochts - who came back to life not only with their feelings, wants and needs still intact but also their senses altered into something otherwordly.

Most of the dra'iochts have been wiped out by the Camelot Unit, headed by Uther Pendragon, until the strongest remained. But even after all his successes with the minor dra'iochts, Uther was still left wanting by Arthur human weaknesses.

When one is attacked by fire, one fights back with fire. And when one wants to defeat a dra'iocht, one sends a dra'iocht to fight in your stead. And Arthur, who has always been hungry for his father's love and approval, took just two days to decide to become the hunting dog that Uther wanted.

That night, Arthur found himself staring down at his old body which was crumpled in a heap, the blood seeping out of the head and oozing onto the floorboards.

"Welcome back Arthur," Uther said and when Arthur looked up, he saw Uther giving him a warm smile. "My son."


	2. The Briefing

"Welcome to the next life, Master Arthur."

Arthur tilted his head, acknowledging Gaius' greeting as an honest and blunt introduction to the briefing. That, or Gaius has suddenly acquired a cruel sense of humour.

Gaius, the Camelot doctor, was also the unit's top researcher, never joining in any active missions unless to tend to the wounded and gather information through his numerous knowledge of the dra'iochts. Other than being his longest tutor and an old friend of his father's, the doctor was one of the smartest man Arthur has the pleasure of knowing.

But with all the man's knowledge, his mother still lay sick in her bed. Arthur wondered if Gaius has given up trying to find a cure for his mother, the man defeated by the magical sickness that seeped away Igraine's energy but never her smiles. Arthur knew Gaius cared for Igraine as much as he cared for Arthur and his father because the blonde would often find the doctor merely chatting away with Uther and Igraine in the master bedroom in some quiet moments.

Gaius was a druid but as far as Arthur knew, the man has given up the practice when he became more interested in science and technology than magic. Under Uther's sponsorship, Gaius extended his knowledge past the lore of druidism, gaining expertise quicker in science than when he practiced the old religion and soon became Camelot's head doctor and researcher.

But whatever new belief one chooses to practice after, a wise man never forgets what he has learnt in the past. The gun that Arthur used to kill himself came from his father's prized collection but the runes carved on the metal was undoubtedly Gaius' work.

 

The ex-druid was standing in front of Arthur now, about to teach the young Pendragon what it meant to be a being that his father abhorrs.

"You have already been informed about the druidism belief in life after death and understand what it entails or you might not have entered into this new life willingly," the grey-haired doctor said, "You are now in between worlds - this world and the otherworld. You are still anchored in this world by your human senses but an extra sense will come to the fore - a sixth sense that was once dormant when you were a human but will wake up upon your death. Tell me Arthur, what is your sixth sense. Reach into your mind and find it."

Obediently Arthur closed his eyes and tried to feel anything different about himself. He opened his mind and searched and suddenly he felt it - an alien thought seeping into his own, encompassing his mind that all he could hear and feel were those thoughts and feelings that were not his own. He could feel sadness and anger and also not lacking in curiosity and excitement. Even if Arthur couldn't see the face he knew from the aura where it had come from. When he opened his eyes, he said to the man in front of him, "I can read your mind and your feelings, Gaius."

The man looked surprised before his weathered face broke into a smile. "You have the power to see into a person's mind and heart. You experience _Aisling_ in your present consciousness and can envision people's actual thoughts and feelings. Even before the Purge, dra'iochts with this power are rare."

Arthur nodded in understanding and satisfaction. It was an amazing power. As a fighter he would be better, always knowing what his opponent was thinking and feeling even before any physical action was taken.

Arthur lifted the wineglass that was placed earlier in front of him and took a sip of the wine. As soon as the liquid touched his tongue, he brows furrowed in puzzlement.

Gaius took a moment to let Arthur realise what was happening before he continued, "Remember what I told you and your father before, that with every use of your power, your human senses will be dulled to be overwhelmed by your otherworldly sense, quickly becoming the dominant one. How you smell, taste, touch, listen and see will change. It will take a lot to be getting used to."

"Which I will have to do," Arthur said brusquely, putting the wineglass back on the table, "Shall we get on with the mission."

Gaius arched an eyebrow before giving a sigh. "Of course. These are the files of the four powerful dra'iochts which have evaded Camelot's grasp for years. You know them already but only now I am able to compile the data on them."

Gaius switched on the projector and an image of a familiar person appeared on the white wall. It was Morgana, the woman who he grew up with and had a falling out with his family when her father, Gorlois, died in one of the major fights against the dra'iochts.

Gorlois was Uther's most loyal soldier and friend and Morgana could rarely hide her hatred that for every dangerous dra'iocht Uther wants disposed of, the Camelot Unit head would always send her father to deal with it. Gorlois was the only living relative Morgana had and to have him taken away from her broke her heart and mind that she killed herself one day with one of Gorlois' guns.

Uther was wracked with guilt but it did not stop him from putting Morgana into the wanted list along with the other strong dra'iochts as soon as he found out that her hatred and misery has anchored her to the living world after her death and now willingly using her powers to hunt and kill Uther's men.  
When Morgana was still human, she was the only woman Arthur quietly admitted who can probably beat him in combat if she has more strength and given the chance to hone her abilities but now as a dra'iocht it was as if her ability as a fighter has tripled, given that all the Camelot soldiers who hunted her has been maimed or dead in her hands.

"Morgana Le Fey. Her ability is another aspect of the _Aisling_ \- a rather morbid one, I fear - which is to see the place and time where her enemies will get wounded or die making her the perfect fighter. But everytime she uses her powers, the pain she inflicts on the people she hurts will be transfered to her as a penalty."

Gaius showed him three more pictures of Morgana and in the second last slide, a scar ran over her face from the top of her left brow to her left cheek and her left eye was discoloured by blindness. In the second slide Morgana was wearing an eyepatch but even with the disfiguration, she was still beautiful as Arthur remembered her to be - her remaining green eye bright like a jewel against the darkness of her flowing locks and the paleness of her skin.

"Next is Lancelot Du Lac." The next picture that came on showed a man who looked a few years older than Arthur with olive-coloured skin and ruggedly handsome features with brown soulful-looking eyes that would not make anyone think that the man was at all evil.

However, the next series of pictures of Lancelot showed a sharp contrast to the first ones. The man's unruly hair is tied in a sleek tail and those brown eyes now has a sharp glint in them, like cats whose eyes turned luminiscent when shone a light at a particular angle. He looked ruthless and evil and the rakish smile the dra'iochts sported could probably seduce every woman and man he wanted.

"He became a dra'iocht when he was killed by a robber who broke into his and his wife's house one night," Gaius said, "His fear for the safety of his wife probably manifested in him in his dying hours, holding him down in this world. He experiences _Echtra_ , where at night time, he becomes an amazing beast - swift, merciless and unafraid but when morning comes he wakes up with no memory of how blood and other tainted evidences come upon his hands. That is his penalty for being in this world. To become fearless at night and turn into a timid person when the sun rises."

Arthur flipped through the file and he stopped when he read about Lancelot's wife. "The wife died."

"Yes, unfortunately," Gaius answered, "during the robbery."

Arthur picked up another file and continued. "The third is William Ealdor."

"Yes," the doctor acknowledged, pressing the buttons on the remote to show the slides of a young man with brown hair, green-brown eyes and a playful grin on his boyish face. "He died during a car race in the streets. His moments of panic before he died may have been the trigger to his dra'iocht power which is to split his body into another whole one - a shadow of his real self. It is an aspect of the _Immram_ where he is able to transfer a part of his strongest soul away from his body, becoming his fighter and protector. But everything his shadow does, every evil deed it has done, it will come back to him like a disease. His body slowly rots before it will inevitably consume him and he will become the shadow itself and thus ending his humanity again."

"I've heard from the reports that he doesn't fight while his shadow comes out. But is he able to?" Arthur questioned.

"He can," Gaius answered, "But not as good as your best fighters. You can definitely bring him down in less than a minute but it is his shadow that you will have to look out for."

Arthur nodded and Gaius pressed the remote buttons again to continue. A picture of another young man blazed across the wall. He was not as beautiful as Morgana and certainly not as handsome as Du Lac but Emrys is pretty with those bright blue eyes and the sharp cheekbones (even those ridiculous ears) and full lips pulled into a shy but honest smile that could make Ealdor's bright grins look dull.

"And this is Merlin Emrys. The cause of his death is unknown and his power is of an immortal life. No one knows where and when he was born. As far as anyone is concerned, he is the perfect symbol of the druid belief of an immortal soul, except that his feelings are intact. Like a human, he feels joy and pain but his immortality has grown to become a curse. It is assumed that all of his living relatives has passed on and thus he lives alone."

"His fighting abilities?"

"No one can be sure," Gaius said, "One person says that he was weak yet another attest the opposite. Whatever the reports, Merlin Emrys evades capture everytime, dead or alive. And when I mean dead, the men who fought with him have sworn that the attacks upon him would have killed any man. How a person kills an immortal we have yet to find out."

Arthur took one last look at the image on the wall and closed Emry's the thin file shut. Not knowing what the immortal can do makes the young man as dangerous as the other three but with Arthur's new power it will cease to become a problem. Or one can only hope.

"Anything else, Gaius?"

"Yes there is," the man affirmed and showed another image - this time of a young woman with olive-coloured skin, gentle brown eyes and dark ringlets atop a pretty face. "This is Guinevere. Last name unknown. She has been sighted on seperate occassions with the four dra'iochts. She is suspected to be a dra'iocht sympathiser but there has not been any reports of violence. Find her and you will find the Morgana, Du Lac, Ealdor and Emrys."

"Are there no other information on her?"

"Nothing else."

"Alright," Arthur said, standing up, "Where is my father, by the way?"

"He is in his bedroom," Gaius replied, looking troubled, "Resting, I think."

"More like talking to my mother," Arthur said. Gaius looked at him for a moment, and the sadness was clear on the man's face that Arthur need not read his mind to see it.

"Yes, more like."


	3. Merlin, Morgana, Lancelot & Will

"Our life is made up of our experiences. Clinging to the past can destroy us. Dealing with it is the first thing to do if we want to change. But to be alive... there is no such place for us in this world."

Merlin listened to the woman sitting in front of him as he watched the people walking along the streets before turning towards her. It was the same conversation he has had with her over and over again. It never ceases to gratify him to hear being spoken out loud what goes on in his mind by the woman with the sweet voice and the soft eyes, but he knew he needed to break free of it.

"You are my heart, my mind, my soul," Merlin told her, "You appeared to me and you helped me carry the burden of my feelings with you and got me through it all. But I can't let you anymore. I have to stand on my own."

Guinevere gave him a searching look, her brown liquid eyes filled with hope. "Are you strong enough?"

"I will be. Whatever it takes."

Merlin gave Guinevere a smile, stood up and walked away.

* * *

Blood. Carnage. Dying echoes of scream. Pain. So much pain.

Morgana clutched at her shoulder where she could feel the misplaced bone under her skin. The feeling of wetness of her blood seeped under her clothes, flowing down her other arm to fall past the curve of her elbow and drip onto the cement.

 

The scene shifted and she was alone once again, the feeling of pain dispersing like a remnant of a dream. No dead bodies lay on the ground - just dust upon layers of dust which flew up into the air when the heels of her boots clacked across the warehouse.

Suddenly there was a crash of glass and the sound of something solid hitting against the door before a group of men in black came into the warehouse and attacked.  
Morgana saw the emblem of the red and yellow Camelot Squad Unit on their sleeves and gripped her gun tighter.

Among the soldiers was the Pendragon prince, as she has seen in her vision. She charged forward, shooting at everyone and those she could not stop she brought them down with her fists and legs swinging. Just as she reached Arthur, her gun ran out of bullets - just as she predicted - so she used her limbs to fight without missing a beat, even when knowing that she could not defeat Arthur in hand-to-hand combat she could at least feel the satisfaction of smacking that pretty face until the young man's flawless skin was bruised and his lip bleeding.

 

Arthur served it back to Morgana two fold and the female dra'iocht knew that the blonde was holding back just a little either because of habit or compassion. Morgana needed none but she knew she could not win the battle, so with one last punch at Arthur's gut, she ran away, jumping across prone and groaning bodies before forcing past through more soldiers to escape into afternoon.

 

Later, Morgana sat on her couch at her hideout and writhed in agony. Scars and wounds appeared on her body but she bore it all, screaming when the pain got too unbearable. Only when the last of the wound stopped burning onto her flesh did she manage to pass out because that was how the punishment goes.

* * *

Lancelot sat in a private booth and took a sip of his liquor as the women flirted with him.  
One of the women played with the lapel of his blue shirt while another impishly twirled some stray strands of his dark hair which has escaped from the band before tucking them behind his ear.

Lancelot smiled at the women and while they swooned, he took out his gun and placed it at the table in front of him. Before they managed to get over their surprise at the sight of the weapon, the handsome man picked it up and aimed it at one of the woman beside him.

"Do you like to play?" he purred.

She gasped and he kissed her cheek before he pulled the trigger.

Instead of a bang, there was a click of an empty catridge and Lancelot laughed before swinging his gun around to the other blonde beside him.

"Come on let's play."

He pulled the trigger again and there was another click. The woman cried and fled but he merely laughed again and swung the gun to the woman in front of him.

"Isn't this fun?" he crooned.

The woman's body shook in fright and she gave a jump when a hand dropped onto her shoulder from behind her. Lancelot looked up and grinned at the lanky man who was frowning at him in displeasure.

"You want to join, mate?"

"This should not be a game, Lancelot," the man said.

"And why not, Merlin?"

The women felt the tension between the two men thicken and left the table quickly. Merlin sat on one of the vacated seats close to Lancelot.

Merlin sighed. "There is no purpose."

"You don't know everything, immortal," the man growled.

"I know that you need not do this to get over your grief."

Lancelot sneered. "And you know everything about grief?"

Merlin's blue eyes brimmed with emotions that had Lancelot stop and stare. "I've had a whole lot of lifetimes to know about it. And it doesn't get any easier."

The long-haired man leaned towards Merlin and whispered hotly in his ear, "Then why not have some fun in the meantime."

Merlin gasped when Lancelot grabbed his jaw and gave him a furious kiss. The man was unrelenting, devouring the slighter dra'iocht while maintaining a grip on the back of Merlin's neck.

Suddenly a pressure was pushing Lancelot back, nothing tangible as a shove by a hand but it was still persistent and strong.

Lancelot pulled himself back to watch Merlin whose lips were raw and eyes glittering with anger

"I am your friend, Lancelot," Merlin said, "Don't forget that."

"And what does my friend come here for?" Lancelot scoffed, finally releasing Merlin from his grasp and at the same time feeling that invisible pressure disappear.

"The Camelot Unit wants to finish what they started. You, me, Will and Morgana are the only ones left. Be careful."

"You're always the worrier," the man said, holstering his gun under his jacket once more, "It's a wonder that you ever get out."

Merlin rolled his eyes. "And you get out too much."

Lancelot laughed. "We can't let fear rule us, Merlin. I know more about it than anyone."

Picking up his glass on the table, Lancelot knocked back the remaining of his drink before putting the glass down with a hard thump. Then he grabbed Merlin again, giving the pale man another kiss before walking away with a wink.

* * *

In a corner of a stairwell, a couple fumbled in the dark, their mouths kissing, sucking and nipping at each others lips and bared flesh while their hands groped and grabbed trying to get under the other's clothes. The man's hands cupped the woman's breast and squeezed, making her moan, before trailing it upwards to carress her neck. It was the feeling of coldness on her skin that made the woman open her eyes. The man's hand was so pale that it was ghostly in the dark area only lit by the moonlight and when she looked down she saw long black nails trailing against her cheek and it was only when the the sharp tips pierced her skin that she broke out of her shock and ardour with a scream. The woman struggled and when she was able to free herself with a frantic push, she ran down the stairs and away from her paramour.

Will was still panting from the lust when he lifted his hand up to see why it felt numb and cold. It wasn't his hand, but it was. Whiteness covered the skin, so transluscent that he could see the veins in some areas. Instead of nice manicured nails, the ones of his one hand were black, long and tapered. He growled and looked up and saw a reflection on one of the glass windows at the bottom of the stairs. Instead of his own face it was the reflection of the other him, a face and a body like his own but only with skin pale like the moon and unblinking black eyes. His shadow smiled, showing rows of sharp teeth between dark lips.

Will punched the wall of the stairwell in frustration before he ran down the stairs, his face grim, as his protector and tormentor followed.

 

Outside, Will turned left of the building towards his car, when the loud sound of a four wheel barreled down the street. He turned around and saw two black vans coming his way and he instantly took a couple of steps back before turning back around and breaking into a run.

He did not manage to get more than 10 metres before one of the vans managed to overtake him and skidded to a halt in front of him to cut him off. Out came men carrying weapons, all in black with a familiar looking emblem of red and yellow.

"Camelot scum," Will spat and backed a few steps before closing his eyes. He reached into himself, calling, and then feeling the being within him answer and seep out of his body to materialise in front of him. Before the Camelot soldiers men could react more than lifting their weapons, the Shadow flitted towards them like its namesake and one by one despatched them with its sharp teeth, cruel nails and supernatural strength. It was just about to slash its talons onto yet another soldier when a bullet embedded itself into its arm.

The Shadow merely grunted and looked to the direction where the bullet came from. A blonde man stepped forward and kept his gun trained on the Shadow. The second the Shadow moved, another bullet hit it on its leg, stopping it before it could flit towards his attacker.

The Shadow growled and Will echoed with his own guttural sound.

The blonde man smirked and cocked his gun toward the dra'iocht in warning.

"Pendragon," Will said.

Arthur took another step forward. "Ealdor."

"It's past your bedtime, Pandragon," William jeered, "or did you daddy finally let you play with the big boys?"

"We're taking you in, Ealdor," Arthur said, taking another step forward.

"Are you?" Will grinned, "What makes you think that you can?"

The brown-haired young man closed his eyes and suddenly his shadow acquired two companions with the same face and body, the two as pale, as dark, as dangerous and as quick.

They were so quick that before Arthur could blink, two of them flitted towards the men remaining and began to attack. But apparently not quick enough that before the two could land a killing blow at their prey, Arthur shot the two at perfect precision, stopping them in their motion.

Just as quickly, Arthur swung back around to William and pointed the gun in his direction again. The Dra'iocht blinked at him in puzzlement.

"Because I've gotten quicker," the blonde man said pulling back the catridge slot and cocking the nuzzle to William, "So quick in fact that I can shoot you right now even before your three shadows can move. And how many bullets do you think you can take before your pets are forced to move back into your body?"

 

Suddenly there were shots being fired and Arthur turned around to see three of his men down. Standing over them was a man with a wicked grin and eyes that shone in the darkness.

"Having a little trouble, William?"

Will grinned. "Nothing that I can't handle."

 

Lancelot walked into the light and scoffed. "Really? Then shall I leave you here."

"Oh come on, mate," Will laughed, a little nervously.

The other dra'iocht sighed. "Alright. For old times' sake."

And before Arthur could get an inkling of what they were talking about, Lancelot attacked with a movement that defied mortal sight.

But Arthur, the new dra'iocht with the power of foresight, caught the intent and he let loose a volley of bullets that drilled into the pavement in front of Lancelot's feet.

The tall dra'iocht stopped and stared at Arthur with narrowed eyes. "Aren't you pretty quick tonight, Pendragon."

"You'd be surprised, Du Lac."

"Hmmm...." Lancelot cocked his head and tapped his chin. "You've gotten quicker, yes. But you still move the same. You've changed in a different way. What is it?"

Arthur did not reply. "You can think about it in Camelot prison later, you and Ealdor."

"Let's see," Lancelot continued, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Since you've managed to match us action by action, one would naturally assume that you, Pendragon, are as quick as William and I... but since We've already established the fact that you are still you, then the only way is that you know what we're going to do before-hand!"

Arthur tried not to show anything on his face as Lancelot gave a triumpant laugh. "You have _Aisling_?! How on earth did that happen, Pendragon?"

Will laughed as well. "Shit, don't tell me someone finally killed you, Pendragon. At least we know why you didn't get to go forward to the afterlife.  
Still hanging onto your daddy's coattails I bet."

 

Without moving his head, Arthur swung his arm to the right and pulled the trigger. Will yelped when a bullet zinged onto the ground near his feet. "Oi! Watch it!"

 

"Well," said Lancelot, "In the light of your current situation, I think we'll take a raincheck on our visit to your prison," the long-haired man said.

"And what makes you think I'm going to let you go?" Arthur drawled.

"Oh you will," Lancelot answered smoothly, "because no matter how fast you are or how fast forward your sight is, you can't stop three shadows and two dra'iochts at one time."

What happened next was a barrage of bullets fighting against two terrifying monsters and having the dra'iochts cleverly weaving between the Camelot soldiers while slashing and breaking at their limbs and bones, Arthur's aims were precarious and few in fear of hitting his men.

 

When the two dra'iochts managed to escape their surroundings, Arthur barked orders at his men to find the enemies and he himself ran into one of the vans to follow chase. Just as he put his foot in the front passenger seat, he felt a jerk at his subconsious as if hidden eyes were looking at him but when he turned around all he could see was the darkness of the shadows of the building around them. Arthur shook his head before getting into the van and forgetting about it.

 

When the two vans sped off, Merlin stepped out of the darkness with a thoughtful and curious look on his face.


	4. Gaius, Uther/Igraine

In an opulent room, three figures sat, bathed in the muted lights from the dimmed lamps and softly glowing fire in the fireplace. 

"How did it go with Arthur?" Uther asked Gaius as the grey-haired man sipped his drink from the crystal glass.

"He called in the command centre a few minutes ago, sir. He was close in bringing Ealdor in but Du Lac arrived at the scene and the two escaped. There are numerous injuries with five dead," Gaius reported, "Morgana escaped as well. Pelinor is in intensive care."

"Foolish man," Uther said, clenching his fist against the sheets of the king-sized bed where he was seated beside, "He knew he shouldn't have attempted a mission while he was below par. He barely mended after his latest clash with Morgana. Pelinor is to be suspended for disobeying my orders. His pride has affected his logic and thinking."

A blonde woman placed her slender hand on Uther's clenched ones and squeezed it. Uther smiled when she gave him a comforting look. 

"Is Arthur alright?" Igraine asked Gaius.

Gaius looked at Uther before dropping his head down to the carpet and answered hollowly. "He is well."

"What does Arthur think of the dra'iocht group?" Uther asked.

"Arthur reported that Du Lac seemed the strongest. He said he could handle Morgana and that taking Ealdor down would be easy with his new power. And Merlin is yet to be found."

"Take care of Arthur, Gaius," Igraine softly pleaded, her blue eyes glittering in the firelight. 

"I will," Gaius replied.

Uther leaned forward and gripped Gaius at the shoulder with his free hand as he let his wife continue to hold his other hand close. "Your knowledge has served Camelot well. And of your loyalty to my family, we will never take for granted."

Gaius gave a small humble bow and finally smiled.


	5. Guinevere

It was late in the morning when Lancelot wakes to find himself stained with dirt, grime and blood. As soon as the memories came rushing into his mind, he felt like he was going to hurl. He could remember that there were screams of pain, the stench of urine from fear, the smell of sweat and the sticky feel of blood.

Lancelot curled in towards himself in an attempt to calm himself from sobbing with grief. When a soft touch landed on his shoulder he nearly jumped in fright. He looked up and his wild eyes met a pair of gentle brown ones that looked at him in pity.

"Wh-Who-?"

"Shhh..." the woman spoke softly, "It's okay. It's Gwen. Don't you remember me? You're going to be alright."

Lancelot panted. "It-It happened again. It happened."

"Shhh... Shhh," Gwen maintained, pushing the dra'iocht's sweaty hair back from his face.

"I couldn't stop it. I couldn't."

The woman put her arms around him and she let herself be engulfed in a desperate hug.

"I barely know what's happening anymore. Is this real? Or am I dreaming? I don't know what I want. I want to run away from all of this."

Gwen rocked him, petting his hair. "This world does not disappear when you close your eyes."

"I know.... but this... this calms me... being with you." Lancelot sighed. "I want to stop time to this very moment. I want to live with you like this."

Gwen answered with a kiss on his forehead.

* * *

It was a chilly afternoon when Arthur stepped out of his car and as the gust of wind blew across his exposed face, he burrowed himself deeper into his coat, cursing himself that he did not think to bring a hat to cover his ears from the cold. He was so intent into getting quickly into the store to buy some instant or microwavable food to stuff into his refrigerator when he bumped into someone who was just walking out of the establishment. Arthur looked at the person to apologise and when he met soft brown eyes partially obscured by chocolate coloured curls, he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Oh! Sorry," the pretty woman murmured, looking down at her bouquet of pink coloured daisies which fell onto the ground.

Arthur shook himself out of his stupour and quickly picked up the bouquet and handed it to her with a smile. "My lady."

The woman tried to hide her soft laughter from behind the flowers and when she looked up to give Arthur a sweet smile, the blonde saw that she was not only pretty, she was beautiful.

"Arthur," he introduced himself, "And you are?"

"Gwen," she replied

"For someone special?" Arthur asked, looking at the flowers pointedly.

"Very," she said, "Would you like to meet him?"

Arthur stared. "I don't think-"

"Oh, he won't mind," Gwen assured him hurriedly, "He always loves company."

Of course, Arthur already recognised the dra'iocht sympathiser on first sight, thus cautious that it could be a trap. However, if he manages to befriend her and forge her trust it could help him get closer to the dra'iocht fugitives. With a rakish grin, he gave the woman his arm for her to hold and said, "Lead the way, my lady."

 

The cemetery was quiet in the Tuesday afternoon and even with the still bright sun, the scenery still made Arthur feel slightly melancholic.

In front of him, Gwen laid the bouquet of daisies in front of a tombstone before she caressed the hard stone with her dainty fingers.

"This is my father, she told him, "He died a few years ago from lead poisoning working on his mediaval weapons project every hour of every day and every night."

"I'm sorry," Arthur said.

"Don't be. He was happy and everytime he finishes a weapon, his eyes would go alight with excitement," Gwen said in reminiscence, "He would be the happiest for months until another project comes along and he would immerse himself in it with just the same passion."

Gwen turned to him and smiled. "He died doing the things he love to do, so I see no fault in it."

He looked at Gwen and he thought her beautiful again. Losing her father and now surrounding herself with dangerous dra'iocht, the woman was still able to retain her innocence and faith in the world when all Arthur could see in the world and understand was violence and bloodshed. He tried to remember if he has ever been happy without having to sacrifice anything but he could not recall the instance.

Now, looking at Gwen he finds the possibility that being around her could make him, or anyone, happy. She was like a flower in a desert, a pearl in a murky sea or the little beam of sunlight in the dismal day.

However, just as he was thinking that, it was at that moment that his sense of sight began to diminish without warning. He blinked his eyes and Gwen's face suddenly began to blur and instead of colours, lines and shadows, Arthur sees Gwen and the surrounding around them in a different way - like aura bleeding out from every living thing and somehow even with the distorted vision, Arthur _sees_ them more clearly.

Now, to him, Gwen feels... familiar. It's as if he knows her from somewhere else, other than the data on Camelot's files and any other reports that was given to him by his men.  
She feels something like... kin...

"Arthur? Are you alright?"

Arthur blinked, trying to hide the fact that he was blind to her expression but not her feelings. She was worried like he was, rightly so since he knew he must be looking close to being sick at that moment.

"Sorry, Gwen... I think I must be coming down with something. Please excuse me, I need to- I need to go-"

"Do you want me to-"

"No, no. It's okay," Arthur assured her at the same time as he was turning around to walk away, "I-I just need to go now. Nice to meet you, Gwen!"

And without waiting for her reply, Arthur nearly stumbled on his way to get back to his car. He needed to see Gaius.

* * *

The leaves from the oak trees fluttered in the afternoon light, leaving dappled patterns on the tombstone made of gray-granite marble which was etched with the words "Gorlois Le Fay. Beloved Husband, Dedicated Father and Courageous Fighter."

A dark-haired woman shifted her trenchcoat as she bends down to place a stem of pure white lilies against the tombstone.

A colour of brightness at the corner of her eyes caught her attention and she turned around to see a dark-skinned woman in a yellow dress gazing upon a tombstone a few metres away.

The young woman turned around, saw Morgana looking at her and smiled. Morgana smiled back before quickly turning back to her father's grave. When she felt the movement of the young woman getting close to her, she resolutely tried to ignore her until the woman spoke in a melodious but sad voice, "Those who we love, those who are gone... we can only miss them but life has to go on.

Morgana studied the young woman for a moment before asking, "Who have you lost?"

"My father," the woman answered,"And my mother. I barely knew my mother but my father was my life. He was the reason I wake up every morning."

"How did he die?"

The woman's lips trembled. "Uther."

Morgana stuffs her hands into the pocket of her trenchcoat and looked up into the dancing leaves overhead. "People say that if you want something to be done, you write your wishes to the devil and the devil will grant you that wish."

"Are you my devil, then?" The woman smiled.

Morgana finally smiled back. "If you want me to be. If it will set you free."

* * *

Morgana reached her apartment late in the night. As soon as she has the door shut and locked she took off her coat and hung it on the hanger before placing her bag haphazardly on the coffee table. She did not realise she had a visitor until the person cleared his throat from the area of the kitchen.

She whirled around, her gun trained and its safety clip off in one movement.

"Whoah, easy there!"

"For God's sake, Merlin!" Morgana exclaimed exasperatedly, "I could've killed you!"

Merlin laughed as Morgana rolled her eyes.

"Where have you been?"

"Out," the woman replied, locking the safety of her gun back on.

"You look well," Merlin commented.

Morgana hesitated for a moment before she turned to Merlin. "I met someone."

Merlin blinked and sat down on the couch in the guest area. "Who?"

"A woman. I met her when I was visiting my father three days ago. She's nice."

"Does.... she know..."

"No... maybe... I don't know...." Morgana said uncertainly, "Sometimes she says something... it's as if she knows what I was feeling."

The female dra'iocht saw Merlin's surprised looked and quickly told him, "I've followed her and checked out what she does and where she lives. I've never caught her with anything incriminating. She's leggit, Merlin."

"What's her name?" Merlin asked in a quiet voice.

"Guinevere," Morgana said with a smile, "Gwen. Merlin, she's-"

"You can't see her anymore."

Morgana stared at him. "What?"

"You can't see her again, Morgana," Merlin reiterated, "She's not good for you. Already you seem dependant on her. She's like a crutch-"

"If a crutch makes me this happy, then she's bloody excellent for me!" Morgana yelled at him.

Merlin stood up. "Morgana. You can't-"

"I can do what I want, Merlin," Morgana said, her voice hard.

"Not this time, Morgana," Merlin said in a challenging tone, "And if you don't, I'll do everything I can to stop you."

The two dra'iochts glared at each other before Morgana walked up to come within inches of Merlin's face and said quietly. "Get out."

Merlin stared at her for a moment longer before he stepped back. "Okay," he said, walking to the door and before he let himself out he said again, "Okay."


End file.
